U.S. patent application number 13/084872 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-04 for adjustable positioning apparatus for cooling members and method.
Invention is credited to Russell D. Arterburn, Terry Joe Hanna, Thomas Kent Thompson.
Application Number | 20110185771 13/084872 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37989062 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110185771 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Thompson; Thomas Kent ; et
al. |
August 4, 2011 |
ADJUSTABLE POSITIONING APPARATUS FOR COOLING MEMBERS AND METHOD
Abstract
An apparatus for adjusting the cooling members located beneath
fiberizing bushings is disclosed having the capability of moving
each cooling member, or one portion of each cooling member, in a
generally vertical direction, and/or in a lateral and/or tilting
direction. Also disclosed is a process of using the apparatus to
make fibers from molten material including molten glass.
Inventors: |
Thompson; Thomas Kent;
(Granville, OH) ; Hanna; Terry Joe; (Millersport,
OH) ; Arterburn; Russell D.; (Athens, TN) |
Family ID: |
37989062 |
Appl. No.: |
13/084872 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11369782 |
Mar 7, 2006 |
7946138 |
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13084872 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
65/481 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C03B 37/0209
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
65/481 |
International
Class: |
C03B 37/083 20060101
C03B037/083 |
Claims
1-37. (canceled)
38. A process of making fiber from a molten material by flowing the
molten material into a fiberizing bushing having at least one
generally vertical side wall, an orifice plate having holes therein
or a tip plate having a plurality of fiberizing tips thereon, each
tip having an orifice therethrough that communicates with the
molten glass in the bushing and with the environment external of
the bushing, causing the molten material to flow through the
orifices in the orifice plate or in the tips whereby a meniscus is
formed below each operative orifice or tip and pulling one or more
fibers from each meniscus, cooling the molten glass meniscus and
just formed fibers using a plurality of cooling members held in
place below the orifice plate or tip plate with a mounting
apparatus for mounting the plurality of cooling members, the
improvement comprising one or more mechanisms on the mounting
apparatus to allow vertical adjustment of each cooling member with
respect to the orifice or nozzle plate independently from other
cooling members.
39. The process of claim 38 wherein each cooling member is
supported with one or more generally vertical and bendable or
rotatable items.
40. The process of claim 38 further comprising adjusting the
temperature profile of the orifice plate or tip plate by adjusting
one or more of the vertical spacings between each end portion of
each cooling member and a row of orifices or row of fiberizing tips
closest to each cooling member and/or by bending or rotating one or
more of said rods to adjust the one or more cooling members
laterally.
Description
[0001] The invention involves adjustable apparatus for positioning
cooling members beneath a fiberizing bushing, and a method for
making fiber from a molten material such as molten glass using this
apparatus. More particularly, the present invention involves a
bushing apparatus and a method for making fiber that reduces
investment while providing a more uniform temperature profile
across the orifice plate of the bushing and a better temperature
control capability for the operators.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the manufacture of fiber from molten material, such as
molten glass, it has been common practice to use a bushing made of
precious metals including platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium,
iridium and alloys thereof. The bushings are electrically heated by
their own resistance and are box-like, open on the top and comprise
an orifice plate containing hundreds or thousands of nozzles or
tips welded or punched thereon as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,207,086
and 4,078,413, which disclosures are hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0003] As the molten material emerges from the orifices or nozzles,
a meniscus of molten material is formed below each orifice or tip
from which a fiber is pulled continuously. This is the objective,
but if the temperature of the meniscus is not carefully controlled,
one or more fibers break, requiring a costly stoppage of
fiberization from that bushing and a restart of the bushing. To
remove the heat that must be removed to cool the molten fiber so
that it will have integrity and strength to pull the formed fiber
behind, cooling members are located close to the orifices or nozzle
tips to remove heat from the meniscus and newly formed fiber. These
cooling members can be either cooling tubes like shown in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,397,665, 5,244,483 and 6,196,029, the disclosures of which
are hereby incorporated by reference, or cooling fins as are well
known in the fiber industry.
[0004] Because it is not possible to maintain a uniform temperature
across all of the nozzles or orifices using only the bushing, it is
conventional to adjust the cooling tubes or fins individually and
as a group to address hot spots, cold corners, and other fiber
forming temperature problems. Bushings continue to get larger with
thousands of nozzles or orifices creating or exaggerating
temperature non-uniformities versus smaller bushings of the past.
Past apparatus for adjusting the cooling members has been
cumbersome and difficult to position the cooling members precisely
to maintain the desired spacing between the cooling members and the
tip plate or orifice plate, the tips, the molten glass meniscuses
beneath the tips or orifices and the just formed fibers. This
spacing is extremely important because at the temperatures the tips
and meniscuses are at during fiberization, the heat transfer is
dependent upon the square of the separation distance. It is very
hot and uncomfortable around the bottom bushing and bushing
mounting frame that holds the bushing in place. To insure that the
cooling members are optimally positioned, it is important that the
adjusting means is easy to use and to quickly and precisely
position the cooling members. To achieve accurate positioning in
this hot corrosive environment it is also important for the
adjusting apparatus to be simple with none or few moving parts.
Current adjustable support apparatus exists for adjusting the
cooling members vertically, but is severely lacking in the these
requirements and in enabling adjustment of the each tube laterally
towards or away from the exit end of the tips and the meniscus.
SUMMARY
[0005] The invention comprises an apparatus for supporting and
permitting adjustment of the position of cooling members mounted
close to the tips or orifice plate of a fiberizing bushing to
enable the desired spacing between the cooling members and the
tips, meniscuses and/or fibers to be achieved and maintained. The
apparatus comprises a bushing having cooling members that can be
adjusted vertically, laterally and by tilt angle wherein each
cooling member is supported by one or more generally vertical rods
(generally vertical when the bushing assembly is first assembled)
that can be moved to adjust the cooling member generally vertically
and that can be moved laterally and/or easily bent to move the
cooling member generally laterally and/or to give the cooling
member a tilt angle or to change the tilt angle. By generally
vertical means at an angle of no more than about 10 degrees, more
typically no more than about 7 degrees and most typically no more
than about 3-5 degrees off of true vertical. It is desirable to
mount the rods as vertical as practical. The rods are adjustably
mounted on a support member that usually runs perpendicular to the
direction of the cooling members, but that can run parallel or at
an angle with the cooling members. The support member is located at
an elevation that is substantially lower than a tip plate of the
bushing. By substantially lower is meant low enough to provide a
length of rod that allows the rod to be easily bent or that allows
the cooling member to be tilted the desired amount. Typically, each
cooling member is supported by two generally vertical rods, but can
also be supported by a single rod. By generally laterally is meant
laterally even though the top of the cooling member may be moved a
greater distance laterally than the bottom of the cooling member.
The cooling members are designed to carry a cooling liquid or gas.
Air is a gas and water is a liquid, but other gases and other
liquids can be used.
[0006] The invention also comprises a process of making fiber from
a molten material by flowing the molten material into a fiberizing
bushing having at least one generally vertical side wall, an
orifice plate having holes therein or a tip plate having a
plurality of tips thereon, each tip having an orifice therethrough
that communicates with the molten glass in the bushing and with the
environment external of the bushing, causing the molten material to
flow through the orifices in the orifice plate or in the tips
whereby a meniscus is formed below each operative orifice or tip
and pulling a fiber from each meniscus, cooling the molten glass
meniscus and just formed fibers using a plurality of cooling
members held in place below the orifice plate or tip plate with a
mounting apparatus for mounting the plurality of cooling members,
the improvement comprising one or more mechanisms on the mounting
apparatus to allow vertical adjustment of each cooling member with
respect to the orifice or nozzle plate independently from other
cooling members, each cooling member being supported with one or
more generally vertical and bendable rods, and adjusting the
temperature profile of the orifice plate or tip plate by adjusting
the vertical spacing between each end portion of each cooling
member and the bottom of the orifice plate or tip plate and/or by
bending one or more of the bendable rods to adjust the one or more
cooling members laterally. The support rods can have any reasonable
cross sectional shape, at least in the unthreaded portion, and are
made from a metal that is easy to bend in the hot atmosphere below
the fiberizing bushing and are made of a metal that resists
corrosion in this very corrosive environment.
[0007] When the word "about" is used herein it is meant that the
amount or condition it modifies can vary some beyond that stated so
long as the advantages of the invention are realized. Practically,
there is rarely the time or resources available to very precisely
determine the limits of all the parameters of ones invention
because to do would require an effort far greater than can be
justified at the time the invention is being developed to a
commercial reality. The skilled artisan understands this and
expects that the disclosed results of the invention might extend,
at least somewhat, beyond one or more of the limits disclosed.
Later, having the benefit of the inventors disclosure and
understanding the inventive concept, the objectives of the
invention and embodiments disclosed, including the best mode known
to the inventor, the inventor and others can, without inventive
effort, explore beyond the limits disclosed using only ordinary
skill to determine if the invention is realized beyond those
limits, and when embodiments are found to be without any unexpected
characteristics, those embodiments are within the meaning of the
term about as used herein. It is not difficult for the artisan or
others to determine whether such an embodiment is either as
expected or, because of either a break in the continuity of results
or one or more features that are significantly better than reported
by the inventor, is surprising and thus an unobvious teaching
leading to a further advance in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a crossectional partial perspective view of a
typical prior art bushing showing cooling members mounted beneath
the fiberizing bushing.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a conventionally
mounted bushing assembly including a conventional cooling member
positioning apparatus.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the bushing mount
assembly of FIG. 2, but having the cooling member adjustable
support system of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the bottom of the
bushing mount assembly and cooling member support system shown in
FIG. 3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a cross section along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4 and
showing a view of one end of the bushing mount assembly and one
embodiment of the cooling member support system of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a cross section along lines 6-6 of FIG. 4 showing
an air tube support and cooling member guide that also limits the
lateral movement and/or the degree of tilt of the cooling
members.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a partial end view of another embodiment of the
invention.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a partial end view of the embodiment shown in FIG.
7, but from an opposite direction.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a partial bottom view of one element of the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0017] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of the embodiment
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0018] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tool that is optionally
used with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] FIG. 1 is a cross-section through the width of a typical
precious bushing 2 and related hardware used to form glass fiber
from molten glass. The bushing is made from platinum/rhodium alloy
having a rhodium content ranging from ten to about thirty percent,
typically 20-22 percent. The bushing 2 comprises two sidewalls 4, a
flange 6 that extends around the entire upper periphery of the
bushing and that is welded to the upper edges of the sidewalls 4
and the upper edges of two end walls (not shown), an orifice plate
8 having turned up sides 10 for welding to the sidewalls 4 with
weld 12, a plurality of orificed tips 14 welded to or formed from a
tip plate 8, a plurality of internal supports 16, and a perforated
plate or screen 18 having a plurality of openings 20 therein. The
tip plate 8, that can be just an orifice plate with out tips or
with tips surrounding orifices in the orifice plate, in the bushing
shown is usually made in two or more sections and welded together
down the center 11. To strengthen this weld, the inside portions of
the tip plate 8 are also turned up along their inside edges to form
vertical sections 9. The outer side edges of the tip plate 8 are
also turned up to form short vertical sections 10 for welding to
the sidewalls 4. The tip plate 8 is further strengthened with a
plurality of interior supports 16 spaced along the length of the
bushing with only their bottom edges attached to the bushing,
usually welded to the top surface of the tip plate 8 between the
rows of tips 14. The internal supports can have cutouts 22, where
needed above the orifices so as to not impede the flow of molten
glass into the orifices. The outer or side edge portions of the
orifice plate 8 are also bent up to vertical and are attached to
usually thinner sidewalls 4 with a weld 12.
[0020] The upper portions of the sidewalls 4 can be bent out to
form flanges 6. When the bushing is installed, the upper surface of
the flange 6, which extends uninterrupted entirely around the upper
periphery of the bushing, will contact, and be held against, with a
well known mounting frame 38 shown in FIG. 2, a refractory surface
around an orifice in the bottom of a forehearth of a furnace. A
water cooled coil 5 is also held against the lower surface of the
flange 6 to freeze any molten glass attempting to flow between the
refractory and the flange thus forming a glass tight seal. Orificed
tips, nozzles, 14 that permit molten glass to flow there through to
form fibers are formed or attached to the orifice plate 8 before
the bushing 2 is assembled in any one of several known methods,
such as by extrusion from the orifice plate 8 followed by drilling
orifices entirely through the tips 14 and the tip plate 8, by
welding tubular tips into holes in the tip plate 8, etc. Normally,
tips are arranged in rows down the length or along the width of the
bushing. In the bushing shown in FIG. 1, the tips 14 are arranged
in pairs of rows staggered, running along the length of the bushing
in a known manner, e.g. as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,075.
[0021] A space is left on the bottom of the orifice plate in
between each double row of tips to allow cooling members such as
cooling tubes 24, each with or without a heat removing fin 26
attached to their top surface. A tremendous amount of heat must be
removed from the molten glass extruding from the tips 14 at over
2000 degrees F. very quickly and the water cooled tubes 24 with
their fins 26 perform this function, supplemented by a flow of air
pulled into the area of the tips and fibers by the glass fibers
moving rapidly away from the tips 14. Although cooling tubes are
not shown on the outside of the outer double rows of tips, it is
sometimes preferred to use cooling tubes with single fins in those
positions also such that each row of tips is adjacent to a fin and
cooling tube and adjacent, but staggered, to another row of
tips.
[0022] The center cooling tube differs from the other cooling tubes
in that it has two fins 28 on its top surface. Fitted between the
two fins 28, as will be shown later in more detail, is a ceramic
support 11 that contacts the bottom of the orifice plate 8 beneath
the weld and runs down the entire length of the bushing to further
support the orifice plate 8. The cooling tubes are supported in a
well known manner, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,483.
While the cooling tubes shown here are rectangular in
cross-section, they can be oval, round, square, rectangular with
radiused ends, etc. as is well known.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a portion of a mounted bushing assembly 7
having a different design bushing 3 mounted and equipped with
cooling members 24 and a cooling member 24 support and adjustment
system ready to be installed beneath an orifice of a forehearth
leg. Some of the cooling tubes 24 have been left off of this figure
to better show the tips 14 and the orifice plate 8. The bushing 3,
because of its very hot and fairly fragile nature at operating
temperature, is surrounded with insulation in a known manner inside
a corrosion resistant metal, such as stainless steel, or other
metal mounting frame 13 having side members 15 and cross members
17. The cooling tubes 24 are held in place at each end portion 25
of each cooling tube 24 near each end of the bushing 3 with a
support bar 19 that can be adjusted vertically. The end portion 25
of each cooling tube begins in a plane of each end plate 7 or below
and just beyond tips 14 at the ends of the tip rows and extends
away from the end of the bushing for up to several inches,
typically for 0.5-5 inches, but can extend a greater distance.
Threaded rods 21 are welded to, or screwed into threaded holes in,
the bottom of the side members 15 and a lock nut 30 is tightened
against the bottom of the side member 15 to lock and support the
threaded rod 30 in place. An adjustable stop nut 31 on the threaded
rod 21 is positioned at a desired level to locate a top 27 of the
fins 26 at the desired position with respect to the tips 14 and the
orifice plate 8. Then a follower nut 32 is turned to raise a top of
the support bar 19 tightly against the adjustable stop nut 31. This
arrangement permits the cooling tubes to be raised or lowered as a
group to optimize the cooling of each tip 14, each hot meniscus
below each tip 14 and each fiber being drawn from each meniscus.
This arrangement has been used for years and performs adequately
during the early part of the life of the bushing, but looses most
of it adjustment function during more the half of the normal life
of the bushings.
[0024] During several months of continuous operation, the orifice
plate or tip plate 8 becomes deformed, sags with the maximum sag
being in the center portion of the tip plate 8, due to hot creep of
the precious metal. When that happens one or more rows of tips 14
often become cocked towards one side of the bushing 3. The above
conventional cooling tube 24 and cooling tube fin 26 adjusting
system does not allow optimum compensation for these orifice plate
or tip plate 8 deformations. Since the deformation is not uniform
across the tip plate 8, adjusting the cooling members 24 as a group
does not address the problems caused by the sagging and uneven
sagging problem. This often is the reason for the end of the
effective life of the bushing.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows a mounted bushing assembly 9 that is similar to
the mounted bushing assembly 7 of FIG. 2, but the mounted bushing
assembly 9 has a modified cooling tube support and adjustment
system built according to the invention, i.e. is one embodiment of
the invention, that permits vertical and lateral adjustment of each
cooling tube 24 and fin 26 to compensate for the sag of the orifice
plate or tip plate 8. This embodiment also permits each cooling
tube 24 and fin 26 to be cocked or tilted with respect to vertical
to compensate for cocked rows of tips 14. This embodiment also
comprises the optional adjustment of each end portion of each
cooling tube 24, but this optional feature is not required. While
only one end portion of the mounted bushing assembly 9 is shown in
this figure, the end portion of the other end of the bushing of
said assembly 9 not shown looks the same as the end portion that is
shown. This embodiment has the optional threaded rods 21, adjusting
nuts 32 and the support bars 19 as in FIG. 2, allowing the cooling
members to be adjusted vertically as a group. But in this
embodiment the support bars 19 do not contact the cooling members
24 directly, but instead support threaded adjusting rods 34
(TAR).
[0026] One end of each TAR 34 is attached, such as being brazed,
welded or silver soldered to the underneath side of each cooling
tube 24 at a location that is usually laterally outboard of, but
near, each end of the bushing 3. If the tips 14 do not extend all
the way to the end of the bushing, the area where the TAR 34 is
soldered to the bottom of the cooling member 24 can be inboard of
the end of the bushing 3, but not such as to interfere with fibers
coming from the tips 14. By near is meant within about 1 inch of
the end of the bushing 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the other
end of each TAR 34 has a threaded portion that can extend the
entire length of the TAR 34, or only an end portion 35 that is
adjacent to the end opposite the end attached to the cooling member
24. The threaded end portion 35 of each TAR 34 passes through a
hole in the support bar 19, these holes having a diameter slightly
larger than the diameter of each TAR 34 to allow each TAR 34 to
move easily and vertically inside the hole to move the cooling
members 24 up or down generally vertically. A lower adjusting nut
37 and an upper adjusting nut 39 (see FIG. 5) on each TAR 34 are
rotated in the proper direction, and to the proper amount, to cause
the cooling member attached to that TAR 34 to move either upward or
downward as desired and to the desired extent. A first, optional,
air tube support bar 40 is supported by the threaded rods 21,
adjusting nuts 32 and spacers 42 of desired heights. A second
optional air tube support bars 44 is located about 25 percent of
the bushing length from the end of the bushing 3 and are held in
proper vertical position by a threaded stud 54 passing through a
slot 56 in each end of the support bar 44 and with a nut 58
threaded onto the threaded stud 54 to snug against the face of the
support bar 44. Third and fourth optional air tube support bars 44
(not shown) can be located at mid-length and three quarters length.
The full function of the support bars 44 will become more apparent
in the description of FIG. 6 below.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the bushing
mount assembly 9 shown in FIG. 3 as seen from beneath the bushing
and looking towards the end portion of the bushing. This view adds
detail the embodiment of the cooling member 24 support system of
the invention shown in FIG. 3. In addition, this view shows three
air tubes 39 spaced apart across the bushing with still more detail
shown in FIG. 5. The air and/or support tubes 39 are supported by
the air tube support bar 42 as shown, and in turn the tip plate 8
of the bushing 3 and better shown in FIG. 5. The air tubes 39 are
used to induce a downward flow of air, usually following a breakout
of the bushing 3, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,922, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Air is fed
to the air tubes 39 with air feed tubes 41 (FIG. 4). Mounted on top
of each air tube 39 is a fluid cooled tube 45, usually water
cooled, that remains in a fixed position to cool the air tube to
prevent sagging of the air tube. Mounted on top of each fluid
cooled tube 45 is a strip 47 of ceramic refractory material, in
contact with the bottom of the orifice or tip plate 8 for support
of the bushing, as described in one of the prior art patents
mentioned above. This manner of supporting the orifice or tip plate
8 is fairly effective, in the areas supported directly, but those
areas between the refractory strips 47 still sag with operating
cumulative time. Normally the air tube support bar 40 is clamped in
place on the threaded rods 21 by tightening the nuts 49 during the
entire life of the bushing 3, but can be loosened and lowered or
removed if it becomes necessary to replace one of the air tubes 45,
fluid cooled tubes 47 or refractory strips 49 during the life of
the bushing. In addition to the vertical adjustment of one or more
of the cooling members 24 by appropriate rotation of the
appropriate nuts 37 and 38, the TAR 34 can be bent as shown at 50
to move the attached cooling member 24 generally laterally and to
slightly tilt the cooling member 24. One advantage of this
embodiment is that a TAR 34 is attached to each end portion of each
cooling member 24. In this manner, if one end portion of the
orifice or tip plate 8 sags at a different rate that the other end
portion, the cooling members 24 can be adjusted to compensate for
this by lowering one end of the cooling member 24 more than the
other end.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows another function of the optional support bars
44, that of providing a limit to the lateral movement and tilt
angle of the cooling members 24. A plurality of spaced apart,
vertically oriented slots 60 in an upper portion of the optional
support bars 44, each slot being about 0.01+/- about 0.008 inch
wider than each cooling member 24, prevents excessive lateral
movement of and also excessive tilting of each cooling member 24,
preventing any cooling member 24 from being moved into contact with
one or more tips 14 or from being moved into a meniscus of molten
glass or the path of one or more fibers coming from the tips 14.
Most typically, the vertical center line of each slot 60 aligns
with the desired beginning center line of each cooling member 24
that will occupy each slot 60. The outer part 62,64 of the two end
slots, one on each end of the plurality of spaced apart slots 60,
is optional and need not be there, but typically is as shown in
FIG. 6. Note that the optional support bars 44 can also support the
air tubes 39, the cooling fluid tubes 45 and the refractory strips
47, adding additional support for the tip plate 8 if desired. The
optional support bars 44 are adjusted to the desired distance from
the bottom surface of the orifice or tip plate 8 by rotating nuts
58,59 appropriately. Typically, at least one optional support bar
44 is used below the mid-length of the bushing 3 and when only one
of said bars 44 is used, it contains the optional slots 60. It is
more typical to use three of the optional support bars 44, one
under each quarter-length of the bushing 3. In the latter
embodiments, only the optional support bar 44 at mid-length need
contain the slots 60, but all of the optional support bars 44 can
contain the plurality of slots 60. In other embodiments of the
invention, only one TAR 34 is used per cooling member.
[0029] FIG. 11 shows a tool 80 used to make a lateral and/or
tilting adjustment to at least one end portion of a cooling member
24. This tool 80 is comprised of a handle 84 integral with or
connected to an extension arm 82. The extension arm 82 is typically
of a length that an operator can stand on the floor of the forming
room and reach the studs 34 with an engaging member 86 mounted on
the end of the extension arm 82, as shown in FIG. 3. A slot 88 in
the engaging member 86 surrounds on three sides a stud 34, and
using the handle 84 alone, or with the extension arm 82, the stud
34 can be bent to tilt and/or laterally move the cooling member 24
attached to the engaged stud 34 the desired amount.
[0030] FIGS. 7-10 disclose other embodiments of the invention that
are modifications of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-6 and
described above. FIG. 7 is a partial view of the arrangement shown
in FIG. 5, but modified according to another embodiment as follows.
First, a modified support bar 85 can be optionally relieved in an
area 75 to provide more clearance for the array of fibers coming
from the tips 14. Second, the support bar 85 can be optionally
mounted on a support 70 such that the support bar 85 can be moved
laterally. This is helpful at times to move all of the cooling
members 24 at the same time a desired direction and a desired
distance. One such time is when the arrangement is being assembled
cold and then adjusted to place the cooling members 24 in the
proper location relative to the rows of tips 14, and again after
the bushing 3 has been heated up to operating temperature. Because
of the different materials used for the different parts, such as
the frame 15, the bushing 3 and the cooling members 24, adjustment
is usually required before fiberization begins or soon afterward
and often all of the cooling members 24 require the same type of
adjustment. This is achieved by making the hole 67 in the support
bar 85 larger than the diameter of the threaded rod 21 and by
slideably supporting the support bar 85 at each end with an end
support 70 having a horizontal part 78 and one or more vertical
parts 79. The horizontal part 78 comprises a hole for the threaded
rod 21 permitting the end support 70 to be held in place vertically
with an optional washer 61, a nut 66 and an optional locking nut
68, all surrounding the threaded rod 21 and is fixed from moving
vertically upward more than desired by a second optional washer 63
and a stop nut 64. The vertical portion 79 of the end member 70 is
shown in one piece, but can be much shorter, and can be in two or
more parts if desired. The one or more vertical portions 72 of the
end member contains at least one horizontal slot 76, and in the
embodiment shown has a second optional slot 77. The support bar 85
has one or more horizontal holes near each at least one end portion
for one or more tightening members, like one or more bolts 71,73,
which with one or more nuts 72,74, can secure the support bar 85
against lateral movement when the nut(s) 72,74 are tightened on the
bolts 71,73. It is possible to use only one bolt on one side 71 or
73 to secure the support bar 85 against further lateral movement,
but more can be used, such as two bolts 72,73 on one end portion or
on both end portions of the support bar 85. Thus, when the bushing
3 has been heated in a conventional manner to operating
temperature, the spacing between the cooling members 24, with or
without fins 26, will be checked and if different than desired, and
if similar for all or most of the cooling members 24, than the
nut(s) 71 and or 73 are loosened and the support bar 85, and
everything attached thereto, are moved laterally the necessary
distance to achieve the desired spacing. Any vertical adjustment
needed can be achieved by loosening the lock nut(s) 68 and moving
the stop nut 64 and adjusting nut 66 appropriately to move the
cooling members 24, as a group, up or down and then securing each
end of the vertical bar support 85 by retightening the lock nut 68
against the adjusting nut 66.
[0031] FIGS. 7-10 also show an improved adjusting mechanism 100 for
each TAR 34 attached to the cooling members 24, best shown in FIG.
10. Each adjusting mechanism 100 mounts in a hole 83 in the support
bar 85. The adjusting mechanism 100 has an outer diameter slightly
smaller than the diameter of the hole 83 so it can be easily
rotated in the hole 83. The adjusting mechanism, like a ferrule nut
100 having a smooth, round passageway 92 through most of its length
with the lower portion 90 threaded to engage the threads on the TAR
34. The smooth portion of the passageway 92 has a diameter slightly
larger than the outside diameter of the TAR 34. A lower portion 93
of the adjusting mechanism 100 is typically hexagonal in cross
section, but can be square, rectangular, triangular or other
shapes, and has an outside diameter larger than the hole 83. Most
typically, a plan view of the bottom of the lower portion 93 and
the TAR 34 would look the same as shown in FIG. 4 for the nuts 37
and TARs 34. The adjusting mechanism has a slot 96 completely
around its circumference spaced from a top edge 94 of the adjusting
mechanism 100 for the purpose of containing a snap ring 89 to hold
the adjusting mechanism 100 in place on the support bar 85. The
location of the slot 96 is such as to make the distance between a
bottom surface of the snap ring 89 to the top of the bottom portion
93 slightly greater than the thickness of the support bar 85 so
that the adjusting mechanism 100 can be turned freely during hot
operation. The adjusting mechanism 100 permits the operator to
easily and quickly adjust the vertical position of the cooling
members 24 without having to get close to the hot bushing 3, using
an extended, long, nutdriver and by having to turn only the lower
portion 93 of the adjusting mechanism 100. The adjusting mechanism
100 used in combination with the TAR 34 and the support bar 85
greatly improves the likelihood that the cooling members will be
adjusted properly and timely when needed, and therefore
significantly improves fiberizing efficiency, i.e. percentage of
the time that the bushing 3 is making good fiber product, as
opposed to "hanging", i.e. running coarse primary scrap fibers into
the waste system.
[0032] To assemble the cooling member assembly normally the first
step is to insert the adjustor ferrules 100 into the support bars
85 and lock them into place with the snap rings (89). The cooling
tubes 24 (all) are then installed in the bars by inserting the TARs
34 in the ferrules 100. The cooling member assembly is then turned
over and the end portion 93 of each ferrule 100 is screwed onto the
TAR by turning them with a nut driver or electric screw driver,
until the end of each TAR extends below the bottom of the end
portion 93 of the ferrule, typically up to about one inch.
[0033] The next step is to level all of the cooling tubes. This is
done by placing the entire assembly on a flat surface with the
cooling tubes 25 resting on the flat surface. A spacer, normally
about 17/8 inch thick is placed under each end of each adjuster bar
85, lifting the cooling tubes off the flat surface. Each cooling
tube 24 is then lowered by adjusting each ferrule 100 until the
cooling tube, 24 or fin 26, just touches the flat plate. After
repeating on all of the cooling tubes 24, all of the top surfaces
of the tubes 24, or fins 26, in the same plane.
[0034] The entire cooling member assembly is then attached to the
bushing frame 13 with using the threaded rods 21 and the nuts as
shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 7. Next the desired tube 24 or fin 26 to
tip 14 distance is set by placement of the stop nuts 64 on the
threaded rods 21, snugging up the adjuster nuts 32 or 66 and then
snugging up the optional locking nuts 68, when used, against the
adjuster nuts 32 or 66. Next the TARs are bent where needed, or the
support bars 85 are adjusted laterally, to center the fins 26, or
cooling tubes 24, between the adjacent rows of tips 14. Then, the
nuts 72, 74 and the adjustor nut 61 are tightened to lock things in
place. Any of the cooling members 24 that are not in proper
alignment can be nudged into place with alignment using the tool 80
to bend the TARs 34. The bushing assembly 9 is now ready for
installation and heat up.
[0035] The adjustor nuts 32 or 61 remain tight against the support
bars 19 or 85 during installation to prevent the cooling member
assembly from moving while the bushing assembly 9 is being
installed in a fiber forming position. After installation, the
adjustor nuts 32 or 61 are loosened to a light snug and then locked
in place with the locking nuts 68 before heating up the bushing 2.
This arrangement allows the cooling tube assembly to float
longitudinally while the bushing 2 and bushing frame 13 undergo
thermal expansion due to the large temperature increase to about
1900 degrees F. or higher.
[0036] After this the adjustor nuts 32 or 64 and the locking nuts
31 or 61 are normally not changed further during the life of the
bushing 2, and the cooling member assembly is allowed to move with
any thermal changes. The reason for this is the bushing frame heats
up with the bushing but the cooling tubes stay relatively cool and
do not expand because they remain at or near the temperature of the
cooling water or other fluid. Without this movement, a stress would
be put on the cooling member supports causing the cooling members
to warp and cause fiberizing problems.
[0037] After the bushing 2 is up to temperature, a final check of
cooling member alignments is made and the TARs 34 are bent with the
tool 80 where required. No further cooling member 24 vertical
adjustments are made until the tip plate 8 has begun to sag or a
hot spot develops in an area of the tip plate 8. Desirably, the
TARs have a 10-24UNC threads (90) which means one turn of the
ferrule 100 will move the cooling tube 1/24 inch or approximately
0.041 inches. Using this relationship allows making fine
adjustments of the cooling members 24. Most vertical adjustments
are made using 1/8 turn increments of the bottom portion 93, but
lesser to greater magnitude of turn increments can be used. Being
able to adjust the cooling members easily, quickly and from a
comfortable distance away from the furnace, compared to prior
equipment and practice, results in more timely and more effective
adjustment and significantly increased fiberizing efficiency and
product productivity.
[0038] Different embodiments employing the concept and teachings of
the invention will be apparent and obvious to those of ordinary
skill in this art and these embodiments are likewise intended to be
within the scope of the claims. The inventor does not intend to
abandon any disclosed inventions that are reasonably disclosed but
do not appear to be literally claimed below, but rather intends
those embodiments to be included in the broad claims either
literally or as equivalents to the embodiments that are literally
included.
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